‘It’s deeply saddening’: the way thirty captive beluga whales have become bargaining chips in dispute over inhumane treatment.

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the federal government funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and constant care than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in recent months following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility believed information of the incident were leaked to the press and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

“There’s no way in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The future facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

An official, head of the plan, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|